The gate area of the National Energy Technology Laboratory, 1450 Queen Ave. S.W., glistens in the rain on Monday evening.
The U.S. Department of Energy is investing a fair chunk of money in its latest addition to the Albany research center, and on Monday I learned just how much.
As reported here on Feb. 17, a public affairs specialist at the Pittsburgh headquarters of the National Energy Technology Laboratory, an arm of the Energy Department, provided a summary of what’s being built at the Albany campus of NETL.
To refresh your memory, this was the email from NETL spokeswoman Marisa Fries:
“NETL has started construction on a new facility for its Advanced Alloy Signature Center. This project will result in the partial demolition of an old laboratory building onsite and the construction of a state-of-the-art facility in its place that will enable the exploration of all aspects of alloy manufacturing and will establish NETL as a national resource for critical minerals, materials, and next-generation advanced alloy development. The project is estimated to be under construction through January 2028.”
I wondered how much this venture was costing. How much was the government investing in this addition to the Albany research station?
On Monday, Fries came through again.
“I’m following up with the information you asked about,” her email said. “The total investment for our new Advanced Alloy Signature Center project is approximately $45M for facility construction.”
I’m no expert on government funding, but $45 million seems to suggest that this new research capability is of considerable importance to the country, just as the nuclear-energy work was at the the site when it was the U.S. Bureau of Mines back in the day.
What about the other issue in the news regarding NETL that has been pending for the last year or so? That’s the planned demolition of the historic Building 2, the former college dormitory used as a research building but vacant since the 1990s?
Earlier, NETL said the demolition was “on hold.” The word from Fries on Monday reflected no change: “The demolition of Building 2 is currently on hold.” (hh)
The construction site at NETL-Albany as seen from Broadway Street west of the campus.
We had a family friend who worked there way back in the day when it was the Bureau of Mines as a chemist. He didn’t share a lot of information about his job.
So, the old brick building in the photo will be demolished? Will Albany residents get to see the drawings for the new building? That would be good.
No, the brick building in the photo is the main building on the campus and will not the demolished. The other photo shows the construction site.
Nothing beats that jackassed idea back in the 80’s(?) to turn wood pulp into oil at that lab. How many godzillions was frittered away on that???? It’s all “blue sky”, pie in the sky ideas. More government waste!!
Totally(!) disagree.
Just because outside-of-the-box ideas don’t pan out in no way dimishes the potential they had at the time. Absent those “blue sky, ple in the sky ideas,” (aka “going to the moon in less than 10 years…”), we’d all still be living in the dark ages…
We wouldn’t have to worry about the homeless, affordable housing or poor street pavement then.
Ray, you and this council are in the dark ages. Millions were frittered away on that crazy idea!
Unfortunately when such “pie in the sky ideas” fail, it’s incumbent on taxpayers to foot the bill, rather than private investors. It’s the reason government “investments” are so frequently boondoggles. “…we’d still be living in the dark ages” is a shibboleth.
By the same token, we get who/what we elect. Make your vote count!
Thanks for looking into this, Hasso! I do wonder, with this investment into this site, are they going to be bringing additional jobs to the area or how might this impact the local economy?